People often mentally distance themselves from their peers do to flaws and irregularities that they may suffer from. In The Sun Also Rises Jake Barnes constantly seems to be distanced and un willing to accept the people and environment that he lives in. The impotence that Jake Barnes physically suffers from leads him to suffer from mental impotence regarding the reality of his actions and the environment in which he lives. Aside from Jakes own actions, this impotence is reflected through supporting characters such as Brett and Cohn by the authors' use of the literary devices parody and irony.
Jake Barnes is a veteran ex-patriot of WWI living in Paris, France. During the war Jake received a wound that led him into a life of physical impotence. While in a hospital Jake met and fell in love with Lady Brett Ashley whom he desires throughout the novel. Jake is the editor of a newspaper in France, yet his life circulates around his journey to find meaning and acceptance into society. Jake is often m
easuring the morals of others and trying to find an appropriate way to go about his own life. Jake and the other characters, who suffer from similar mental impotency for one reason or another, are often found to be drinking and seeking sexual relations. Through these actions Jake is attempting to numb himself to the reality that is the world he lives in yet does not understand. Jake goes to bars and drinks so that he might escape from the turmoil his meaningless life has become. Jake is often found to be making attempts to please Brett in any way possible, through this he reveals that he is attempting to gain her acceptance and affection but does not realize that many of these actions are only leading her further from him. Jake feels unaccepted because that he cannot participate in a ritualistic part of the lives that his peers exploit, sex.
The Sun Also Rises is the story of Jake Barnes' search for a way to go about living his life and find acceptance. Throughout the novel the reader is allowed to see what is wrong
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